This invention relates generally to processes making use of cactus pulp to produce products for the food industry.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,057,736, 3,057,737, and 3,057,738, all dated Oct. 9, 1962, the pulp of barrel cactus has certain desirable characteristics when processed in a particular manner. The processing disclosed in said patents involves peeling the cactus after it has been field harvested, cutting the pulp into slices of a thickness of the order of 1/16 to 5/8 inch, and then drying the slices to a moisture content of 5% or less. Drying is preferably carried out in the field where the cactuses are harvested, preferably by exposing the slices to sunlight. To facilitate transportation to a processing plant after sun drying, it is desirable to break up the slices into fragments which for example may be less than one inch in their major dimensions. At the final processing plant the material is subjected to further processing as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,057,736 to produce edible products such as jams or jam-like products. The cellulosic cactus fiber is hydrophilic and absorbent, and functions as a stabilizer in jams or other hydrous food products.
It has been found that a substantial amount of the available barrel cactus found in Mexico contains relatively hard grains dispersed in the pulp, and which imparts an unpleasant gritty character to edible products made from such pulp. For example, particular reference can be made to barrel cactus grown north of Mexico City in the San Luis Potosi region. The soil of this region is alkaline, which may account for the presence of grains. An analysis of the grain material shows that it contains a high percentage of calcium, probably in the form of calcium sulfate. The amount of recoverable grain material may be of the order of 15 to 50% (by weight) of the total pulp. The particle size of the grains may vary, but in a typical instance they may be of such size that they pass through a 20 mesh screen with about one third remaining on a 48 mesh screen. It has been noted that the concentration of the grain material is frequently in the lower portion of the cactus plant. Thus slices taken from the upper portion of a plant may be relatively free of grain material, while slices taken from the lower portion of the plant contain a relatively high concentration of grains. According to my observations, the substance of the grains is not dietetically detrimental, and may be beneficial.